While festival falls on Tuesday, citizens typically would choose to sweep tombs in advance over the weekend.

But at a minibus stop to Cape Collinson Chinese Permanent Cemetery in Chai Wan saw a queue of tomb sweepers, but those waiting in line said the queue was much shorter than previous years.

Some said they deliberately arranged to visit the columbarium on separate days with relatives, to prevent cross-family interaction. Some people were seen wearing two masks for extra protection.

Police standing by at the minibus stop said citizens would have to wait for an hour before getting on the vehicle.

Authorities have urged members of the public to consider paying tribute to ancestors before or after the Ching Ming Festival to avoid overcrowding.

“It’s such a shame that I cannot come with my siblings,” said a man surnamed Cheng who visited the Cape Collinson cemetery, citing the two-person gathering limit.

While grave sweepers were paying homage to their ancestors as usual, some paper offering shop owners said their business was only half of last year, as customers refused to spend a lot.

Some owners also said the paper offering products made in the mainland could not arrive on time as it was affected by the land freight between mainland and Hong Kong.

An employee from a paper offering store in Tsuen Wan said the products sold this year were the stock left over from last year, as they could not restock this year although he believed that the stock remains sufficient for this year, as not many people are buying anyway.

Another owner from Central said the logistics fee has increased to about HK$1,000 per cargo. But he said he did not dare increase the retail price.

“They [customers] might even buy fewer from you if they think the price is too expensive.”